The financialisation of education may have something to do with this. Forcing young people to take on debt to fund privately provided education of dubious value leaves many young people questioning the value of investing time in higher education. If society wants to invest in its future it can it not provide free education to young people rather than putting them into debt? If their education delivers higher incomes then they will repay the cost of education in tax over time. Add to the neoliberal death cult privatisation and debt slavery that has been applied to education our productive economies are failing and productive businesses cannot compete with Chinas and S.E.Asian competition.